December 12, 2006

Newest member of the Cole family arrives:  Austin Owen Cole joins brother Eli and sister Raena.  Congrats Leah and Jason!

February 5th, 2003
Order the CD now!

January 13, 2003

Sisters' singing hobby becomes a dream come true

By: Lisa Davisson
January Edition, InnerViews, Raymond James Financial
Re-printed by permission

As children growing up, music was an important part of life for sisters
Christine Hartman, RJ and A Retail Sales, and Leah Cole, Branch
Operations Training.

"I remember singing a lot," recalls Leah. "We would sing at family
get-togethers and around the kitchen sink while doing dishes. It was
never a competitive thing, it was just fun."

Little did these sisters know that a childhood pastime would turn into
a dream come true with the completion of a first CD. "As a child, I
never thought it would be something like this," says Christine. "It was
just something we did, it was part of the fabric of our lives."

But on New Year's Day, 1998, Christine did take the time to give it
some thought. After listening to a mix tape that Leah had put together
for her birthday, she decided it was time for them to put their voices
to work. "As I listened, I thought, 'this is incredible, we need to
make an album,' so I gave Leah a call to tell her my thoughts,"
explains Christine.

Call it sisterly intuition, but Leah knew what Christine had in mind
before the phone rang. "We were already on the same page about what we
should do when Christine called to talk to me about putting together an
album," says Leah.

Getting the project off the ground proved to be a challenge, as Leah
lived in California at the time. "Since all of the songs on our album
are original, we spent a lot of time on the phone trying to get the
album arranged," recalls Christine. "We would sing to each other on the
phone, sometimes even teaching each other a part to a song," she adds.

As the project progressed, Leah made the decision to move to Florida to
make the process easier. "It was becoming clear that one of us needed
to move to go forward with the album," explains Leah. "Since my husband
and I didn't own a home, we were more mobile than Christine and her
husband. So, we packed what we could in the car, put the rest in
storage and headed east on a dream and a prayer," she says.

Without a recording contract, a home, or even a job, Leah and her
husband came to Florida. "It was hard leaving family and friends,
especially for something that may have been seen as frivolous to some,
but it has all worked out well," Leah says.

After finding a place to call home, Leah found a position at Raymond
James. With both sisters in the same state (and at the same company),
the project began to take over almost every free moment of their spare
time. Working on the album virtually every day after work, Leah and
Christine blended their talents to put together an album that showcased
each of them. "We both bring special things to the music that we create
- Leah has a great ear for creating good melodies," Christine explains.

"Christine is the same way with lyrics," Leah adds.

Naming the group also proved a daunting task. "We gave it a lot of
thought, trying to come up with a really interesting name," Christine
says.

"Ultimately, we thought we needed a name that reflects a part of who we are and what is important us," adds Leah.

"Our love of food and family and time spent in the kitchen singing and
doing dishes, led us to the kitchen," explains Christine. The end
result? 'Just the Kitchen.'

"So many people discount the kitchen, but so much happens there,"
explains Leah. "Family gatherings, sharing good times with friends,
late night discussions - it's more than just the kitchen."

With a name and a newly completed record, 'Just the Kitchen' is well on
its way. Their album is set to release via the Internet January 28 -
their dad's birthday. While Leah and Christine would love to see their
music - which they describe as rock 'n roll, jazz, blues and folk all
rolled into one - take off, they'll be happy no matter the result.

"It's not about being rich and famous, it's about an album that we have
truly enjoyed putting together - something that is a reflection of us,"
explains Christine.

"To create original music and record professionally, it's just such a
dream. I'm so happy that I could share something like this with my
sister," explains Leah.